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Monday, July 30, 2012

CHA-Chicago Highlights!

Hello Again Everybody!

Like I said in my last post, it's so nice to have the opportunity to sit down and go over my INCREDIBLE week in Chicago. I've pulled out my camera and have had a blast reliving that amazing week in heaven!

This post will be full of pictures and very LONGGGGGG so grab a cuppa joe and sit back and join me on my adventure....

Did you get a cup of something yet? Go get it! Ready? Oh wait, I don't have a cuppa joe! Be right back.....There I'm ready....

Day One

I'm not the best flyer in the world (long long scary story) but a little Zanex and a good pilot and I'm good to go! I'm the goofy guy that actually plasters his face against the glass in the lobby trying to inspect the airplane that I'm about to board! I have no idea what I'm looking for but rest assure I visually go over the plane in detail. Two wings...Check! Jets look good...Check! Landing gear in place, tires inflated...Check Check! The flight couldn't have been smoother! Hallelu-Yer!

Got on a tram to the hotel and even checked in and received my hotel room keys on the tram via some high-tech ipad application they were using! Too Cool!

The hotel was right across the street from the convention center....

I went over to the convention center to find Graphic 45's booth and to meet the amazing Graphic 45 Family! Oh my gosh they are such incredible people! WOW!

Me walking into CHA for the first time! Extra projects in hand... they came with me on the plane!

Here's some pictures of the booth as they were running around putting everything in place the day before the floor opens.

I had the opportunity to walk by and meet one of my favorite artists Dyan Reaveley! Y'all she's heaven on earth! I've got a crush on Dyan but don't tell her!

First Day of CHA - Day Two!

Me taking a breather before I hit CHA for my first day!....Don't tell anyone, but I was actually waiting for the girls to come down so we could go over...and waiting! LOL! Just kidding!!

Obviously we were all doing our thing! Obviously I'm looking at the corset mini! LOL! Got to love their albums and blingage!

Visiting with The Amazing Joe Rotella in Want2Scraps Booth!

Had to go visit one of my favorite paper crafting friends here in Georgetown, Barbara Albrecht's daughter, Kimber in the Jillibean's booth!

I had the opportunity to meet one of my very very favorite people and Inspiration Emporium Teammate. The incredibly talented and totally lovable Linda Cain! You can't resist wanting to hug her! (OH by the way, you gotta go see what she did with the Graphic 45 Bird Song Collection!...AMAZING!)

Can you tell I'm squeezing the crud out of her! LOL! Then to my total amazement and honor, I had the opportunity to meet another Inspiration Emporium Teamie...The fabulously talented and very pretty Shelly Hickox! Y'all this lady ROCKED each and every amazing project she did for CHA! As a man, all you can do is act like your not swooning! LOL!

Below, some fellow bloggers! They were so kind! (I never caught your names fellow bloggers! If would you please be kind enough to email me your names, as I would love to add it to the picture!)

Next it was over to Sizzix to meet yet another amazing person, the uber- talented Tammy Tutterow....

See what I mean, it's a little overwhelming! LOL!

The Crafty Chica, Kathy Cano-Murillo working her magic! OMG!!!!!

The day was almost over but the cherry on top was dinner with Kristin, Laura and Cesar at the most amazing Italian restaurant that I will never remember the name of! But landsakes it was Too-Licious!

What fun!

Day Three!

Now this was shopping day! I wanted to take part and watch demos and really get into it. But First, I had to go see Mr. Tim! LOL! My hero! I cannot begin to tell you how this man alone has so changed my life. I will be ever grateful to him!

I wish I had his teeth! They're perfect! Why I'm at it, I wish I had an ounce of his talent! Wow!

The DCWV Booth! Cool pumpkins!

Want2Scrap Goodies!

I so enjoyed my day! The last trip was over to see Dyan doing the MOST AMAZING THINGS! It was like, people, move out of my way I gotta watch too! LOL!

Linda Cain, Dyan Reaveley and I looking at some art!

Laughing!

The amazingly talented..No, totally amazingly crazy talented Anna Dabrowska taking a picture of Linda, Dyan and I! Where the heck was my camera to take a picture of Anna? Hell's Bells!

Dyan Reaveley in action!This woman has my kind of sense of humor! I could have laughed all night!

What an amazing trip! I am so fortunate to have been able to go and meet all of these wonderful people! All under one roof even!!! You would think the building's roof would blow off with this much talent and art in a single place!

I had so much fun! Hope you enjoyed walking through those magically days with me!

39 comments:

Jim, I enjoyed experiencing CHA thru you, thanks so much for sharing the experience. I'm so glad you had a great time, you deserve it with how hard you work on your projects. When are you going to start u-streaming? I'm anxious, can't wait for the lighthouse. Shari (cricutrookie)

Waddaya mean an ounce of Mr. Tims' talent? Son, you have more than an ounce...you gotta whole ton of talent wrapped up in that warped brain of yours. And we're the ones benefiting from that talent. And Laura's and Katherines, and everyone else on the G45 design team. Thank you. Plain and simple...you got it going on !!!! In spades !!

What fun!!!!! I would have been totally blown away. We see there work, but, to be right up there watching them perform magic must be completely a-bit-of- heaven. Now Jim, you are a part of that pie. How does it feel???? Congrats and thanks for sharing your experience. Oh and by the way, if all goes well, I found a few pkgs of Timmie's hitch posts. Now I have a stash. I absolutely loved the washers that you can not get anymore either, and stock piled several pkgs. of those as well. Marcie

Looks like you had a great time! I agree with above, you have tons of talent, you better believe it! Can't wait to see your Ustreams if you get them up and running, I watch Laura and Kathy on recordings so I'm sure I can find time to watch you too lol.

WOW Jim! What a AWESOME time you had and how lucky are you to be rubbing shoulders with crafting royalty! And I agree with you, Tim Holtz has the best teeth lol. I am so crazy jealous of those snappers lol.

So glad you enjoyed your first time at CHA. I have been with you since your first blog post and you have traveled sooo far and I know you have so much farther to go. I marvel at what you create. And learn so much from experiencing how you put things together. Now your a part of the big creative puzzle and you bring us along. I am happy for your success. I can't wait to see what happens next!

Jim, I am a huge fan of Tim's, and let me tell you, my friend...you have waaaaaay more than an ounce of his talent. I don't think you fully realize just how amazing your work is. Your 3-D creations are second to none! Filled with whimsy, imagination, creativity and beauty, your work inspires the rest of us every time you share. You are an artist, buddy...just go ahead and accept it. Embrace it. Wallow in it. Believe it. Because we do! So there!

Hi Jim, thank you so much for sharing your photos from CHA. I have been so looking forward to seeing them. I already knew that you met Dyan as she has posted a photo on her blog. She said 'what a gentleman indeed'. What a lovely compliment. I agree with other commenters that you are super talented. So don't you forget it.

Jim, what fun to see CHA through your eyes! Thanks for the tour. How exciting to meet all these artists. You looked so dapper in your top hat! You are a talent, and yes you have much more than an ounce of it! Thank You for sharing your creations, stories, and travels. Looking forward to seeing what you do next.

As always, you're too kind. But thanks so much for the kind words and the FABULOUS pictures through CHA! I think Caesar did a great job capturing the event with all the wonderful people you got to meet up with. And Dylan definitely has our sense of humor. I wish I could have just taped her during our conversation so I could play it back for inspiration and down-to-earth answers to stupid questions.

It was so fun to meet you at CHA even though your eyes were still glazed over that morning from all of the overwhelming sights of the show. Who took that picture?...they were pretty sneaky about it...didn't even know it had happened. You have so much talent and even more that has not surfaced yet. So be proud, my fellow Texan, and go decorate your top hat.

What fun....seeing CHA through your eyes!! I'm so glad you got to meet all the wonderful people we all hear about and follow on their blogs. Thanks also for saying hi to DD, Kimber!! I'd told her so much about you...and of course you had to listen to me expounding about her...LOL!!

I couldn't be prouder to say you are my friend....and I knew you "when"....LOL!!!

Thank you for the tour of CHA - it looked amazing! I would love to go some day (although some of my artwork went there a few years ago)! I would just like to echo what Kathy / North Carolina said so eloquently about you - you are VERY VERY talented so please stop putting yourself down and face up to the fact that Tim has some competition now!

Wait for it... wait for it...Aah, here's my wonderful tour of CHA. You did a terrific job taking us along in your pocket! Thanks very much. It's so fun to see you meeting other talented people and for them to get a chance to meet you.I can't help but think that your joy and enthusiasm rubs off on everyone you encounter, not to mention your abundance of talent.I'd love to meet Dyan one day. Her humor is right up my alley.As for the teeth - I think you can buy those nowadays. Now I'm going to refill my cup and take a second look.Then I'm going further back to try and figure out how the devil you made the BirdSong house.Thanks Jim. HugsMo(Mori49)

Jim, thank you for sharing your experiences at CHA with us. How exciting meeting people from the crafting community in person. What do you mean an ounce of talent?!?! ...you have plenty of talent...all your projects are spectacular (that word 'spectacular' I reserve just for you)! I just saw your Hokora/Bird Song project, WOW! It reminds me of a jewelry box my mom use to have that I always wanted, but got destroyed by her grandchildren (guess they really liked it too)...it is just SPECTACULAR! I hope there's going to be a pattern for it...I would love to make that project. TFS, Maggie

Heck, you called me pretty - we're friends for life. :) It was such a treat to meet you. You're as nice as you are talented and I just wish we'd had more time to chat. There is never enough! Maybe LA? xoxo

thanks for sharing your adventure so far! loved reading and seeing your photos might have to sell my right arm to get over to a CHA show......ok not my right arm, my left but seriously would love to get to a show. Youa re on very talented bloke and one day I hope we meet.....

Jim..thanks so much for sharing your photos & memories from CHA!! It was like we were right there with ya. It's one of my Crafty Goals to make it to CHA (hopefully as a designer) so until then I will just revel in your photos. Thanks again : )

Jim...thanks for sharing your experiences at CHA with all of us. You are too modest when you describe yourself in comparison with all the other crafters you visited in Chicago. You are well on your way to being up there with the best of them. Your humorous "travelogue" was very entertaining and informational. Thanks again. ps...I love your work!

Hey buddy, so glad you had such a marvelous time in the windy city. Hopefully you'll come back and I can give you a guided tour! It was the best time hanging out with you and I am so fortunate to call you a friend. Big hugs... Miss you guys!

Hey gorgeous, only just seen this now I am having as breather after my travels. Thank you sooooo much for your so luvvly comments. It was such a pleasure to meet you, can't wait to get down and dirty with you in Texas lol xx

Loved the pictures. You experienced what most of us would like to see. As to talent, you don't have to compare yourself to anybody. Your projects are so creative, precise, and such a pleasure to the eye.